Fun provoking novelty



940- A. s. HAISLIP 7,

FUN PROVOKING NOVELTY Filed Jan. 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Shget l Inventor I L J Law,

.2 I I 9 By A ttorneys FUN PROVOKING NOVELTY Filed Jan. 50, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /Z/. Inventor L Q J .srzawszzyw v 1 By fizwaoflm 34 at W m A ttomeys Patented Dec. 31, 1940 FUN PROVOKING NOVELTY AlbertS. Haislip, Fredericksburg, Va., assignor of one-half to F. W. Feuerherd, Fredericksburg,

Application January 30, 1939, Serial Nb. 253,669

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to that classification of novelties, so -called gadgets and innovations sold as party favors and the like, and calculated to permit their safe use by those given to playing tricks on others for the ultimate purpose of promoting wholesome and harmless fun.

In reducing to practice the principles of the invention I have had in mind the development of a unique structure externally made to arouse curiosity and suspicion as to its contents and equipped internally with a mechanism, one feature of which is designed to splash water into the face of the unwary victim, means being employed to fire a paper cap, this giving off a loud report simultaneous with the water-throwing, whereby to momentarily scare the so-called victim, to the amusement of the crowd.

Needless to say, I am sufficiently conversant with the prior art and trade in a general way to realize that all sorts of tricks have been devised to accomplish sportive and jocular amusement. Nevertheless, I believe that I have evolved and produced a distinguishable novelty in this line of endeavor possessed of individuality and susceptible of appealing to the curiosityof the human being due to its unusual construction and method of use.

Briefly, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an internal spring-operated trap mechanism and trigger arrangement, this assembly being confined and substantially concealed inan enclosure such as a box or the like, the latter being allowed to rest on a table or the like so that the moment it is picked up by the unsuspecting curiosity seeker the noise-making cap is fired and the water in the pan catapulted toward and on the person to his or her embarrassment.

' Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention as constructed in accordance with the principles at present in mind.

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional view with the device set for operation.

Figure 3 is a view based on Figure 2 showing the relationship of the trigger and firing mechanism after the box has been lifted from the table or the like and the desired results attained.

Figure 4 is a top plan view with the cover removed to expose the mechanism on the interior.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the cap firing hammer in its cooked or set position.

Figure 6 is a view like Figure 5 showing the position of the hammer after it is swung over to ignite and fire the paper cap (not shown).

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detailed sectional View showing how the safety latch is employed in conjunction with the trigger to hold the trigger set until the trick is to be performed.

By way of introduction to the detailed description it is to be pointed out that the enclosure 01 box may be of any shape, size, material and construction. The main idea is to simply have a casing which will conceal the elements or mechanism of trickery within the box. Principally however, this container serves as an amplifier for the-report or noise produced when the cap is fired, it being evident that when a firecracker, cap or the like is set off in a can properly vented, the noise is magnified sufficiently to accomplish the desired activity and fun. In the drawings, for purposes of illustration I have utilized an ordinary shoe-blacking box 8. This comprises a bottom 9 and a removable lid I0. The lid may have any suitable name or inscription thereon as indicated at the point II to arouse the curiosity of the inspector of the box. Then too, if desired, there may be holes [2 in the box. These holes are necessary where a water throwing device is employed on the interior. Where, however, this phase is omitted, then it is sufficient to have the noise escape holes l3 in the bottom. What I want to emphae size is that this enclosure is simply an apertured casing for concealing and properly housing the mechanism to render it safe and substantially fool-proof. The turn button I4 is of no moment except in its aid in facilitating removal of the lid where this type of a box or container is employed. Also, under this arrangement, a slot I5 is provided in the rim to accommodate the lever or arm l6, this having a finger-piece l1 and being pivoted at one end on the interior of the box as at l8 to provide the conveniently accessible safety latch. This latch cooperates with a curl or finger l9 on the laterally directed portion 20 of the lever or trigger 2|. This has a detent shoulder 22 being pivoted as at 23 on the foundation or base member 24 The base member in turn is supported on a riser or the like 25 mounted in the box. The whole unit can thus be conveniently manufactured and placed in the box. The unit also includes a trip member or arm 26 pivoted as at 21 and preferably provided with a pan 28 to contain a small quantity of liquid, water or the like. Interposed between the foundation 24 and the arm 26 is a hammer 29. This is pivoted as at 3!) and provided with appropriately tensioned coiled operating spring 3!. This leaf 29 is provided with a hammer element 32 which swings over into a shallow receptacle 33 in which a child's pistol-type cap (not shown) is placed. In a sense, this mechanism resembles that of a mouse trap or the like. In Figure 2 we see the mechanism set and ready to go off. In Figure 3 we see the approximate relationship of parts just after the firing and water-throwing operation.

In practice it is obvious that the cap is placed in the receptacle 33. The hammer 32 is hand swung over against the tension of the spring and is mechanically held in this set position, as shown in Figure 2, by the trip arm 26. The pan 28 is precharged with Water, and the lever 2| is set to bring the trigger detent 22 down on the free end of the trip arm as shown in Figure 2. To maintain the trigger set, the safety latch I6 is utilized. That is to say, it is swung beneath the curl I9 to hold the trap mechanism set and in readiness to go oif. It will be noted that the safety latch works across an opening 34 in the bottom of the box. Also the finger or curl l9 aligns with this opening. Hence, by placing the device on a, table or the like and then disengaging the latch and allowing the finger l9 to rest directly on the table, the novelty is set to work.

It is obvious that whoever picks up the unsuspecting object through curiosity or otherwise will encounter a surprise momentarily. That is to say, the openings I2 are calculated to cause the victim to peer into the box to try and see what it contains. Being unable to see clearly, the natural impulse is to lift the box up bodily and when this is done the trigger goes oif, the water is thrown from the pan through the openings l2 and the cap is fired. The amplification or resounding noise within the hollow box produces a loud report. The reader can therefore imagine and therefore perhaps visualize'the unsuspecting reaction of the victim and the hilarious frivolity of the onlookers seeing the victim caught by surprise. It is not my purpose, however, to extol the commercial and humorous phases of the invention. The purport of the description and drawings is to illustrate what is believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood that changes in shape, size and rearrangements may be resorted to within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim: 1. A novelty of the class described comprising a mechanical manually released noise-making mechanism, and a casing for housing and concealing it, said mechanism including a bodily movable pan for containing liquid, the pan being actuated to catapult its contents in a predetermined direction in said casing, the casing being apertured for free escapement of the liquid.

2. In a structure of the class described, a hollow box, a base member therein, a trip arm pivoted on said base member, a cap holder on the base member, a spring pressed hammer for firing the cap pivoted on the base member and interposed between said member and the adjacent surface of said trip arm, a lever also pivoted on said base member including a detent engageable with the free swingable end of said trip arm, said lever having a releasing finger, and said casing having an opening through and beyond which the finger is projectable.

3. A fun provoking deceptive table-type novelty expressly devised and designed for manually controllable use by would-be pranksters comprising a hollow casing including a top having a multiplicity of relatively small holes forming vents, the bottom of the casing having a trigger accommodation opening therein, the rim of the casing having a slot therein, a lever pivoted on the bottom of said casing and constituting a retentionlatch, the inner end portion being concealed within the casing and spanning said trigger opening, the operable outer end projecting through and outwardly beyond the slot in said rim for convenient access and operation, a base member mounted in said casing, a trip arm pivoted on said base member, a. cap holder on the base member, a spring-pressed trip hammer for firing the cap and pivotally mounted on the base member and interposed between said baseand the adjacent overlying trip arm, a trigger-forming lever also pivotally mounted on said base member and including a detent on its pivoted end engageable with the free swingable end of said trip arm, said trigger lever having a depending releasing finger in registry with the aforementioned trigger opening in the bottom of the casing, said finger resting on said latch, and said latch being controllable at will in the manner and for the purposes specified.

4. In a fun provoking novelty of the class described, a hollow casing including a flat bottom having an opening therein to accommodate a trigger finger, the marginal rim-forming wall ofv said casing having a slot cooperable with said opening, a manually controllable latch including a shank pivotally mounted on the interior of the bottom of the casing and normally spanning said trig er finger opening and extending outwardly through the slot for convenient accessibility, capfiring mechanism concealed in said casing and including a pivotally mounted lever, one end of said lever being fashioned to provide a trigger finger, and said trigger finger being in registry with the aforementioned opening and normally resting on said latch in the manner and for the purposes described.

ALBERT S. HAISLIP. 

